"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not!"
I first heard the term “double lion” during orientation from a graduate of both Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School and, ever since, I’ve aspired to join that pride.
My journey to become a double lion unintentionally began in Fall 2018 when I attended Loyola Marymount University. I did so for two reasons. First, my older sister graduated from LMU in 2015 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and, as an annoying younger sibling who takes her family role seriously, I copied her—or, more politely, I followed in the footsteps of my lifelong role model. Second, LMU’s emphasis on the encouragement of learning, the education of the whole person, and the service of faith and the promotion of justice resonated deeply with my own values. While my sister inspired me to excel in the classroom as an International Relations major and Peace & Justice Studies minor, LMU encouraged me to go beyond the classroom and build community with the Marians Service Organization, the Alternative Breaks Program, and the El Espejo Mentoring Program.
After earning my title as “single lion” in Spring 2022, I started work as a behavior technician in applied behavior analysis. I intentionally stepped into this non-legal role before entering law school because of my interest in serving the underserved and mentorship experience that taught me the value of centering a student in their development. I had the privilege of working with children with autism at an early intervention program in Alhambra and an elementary school in Inglewood. And, while I taught them fine motor and verbal skills, they taught me how to push through the frustration of “getting things wrong,” by squeezing out a few tears or breaking to eat a snack before trying again—an important lesson as I approach my first law school finals. This challenging but rewarding experience also exposed me to the inequities surrounding neurodivergent student’s education and joined other legal interests I hope to explore in the next three years: post-conviction relief and eviction defense.
I plan to indulge these interests—by, hopefully, participating in clinics such as Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Clinic, Loyola Project for the Innocent, or the Shriver Landlord Tenant Clinic— and non-legal interests such as reading, traveling, and bust-a-gut laughing on my journey of becoming a double lion.
TOPICS: 1L